


22. It's Not Heavy, I'm Stronger Than I Look

by essiee, Guardian_Rose



Series: 100 Ways To Say I Love You [22]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Birthday, Cute, Fluff, M/M, Magnus's Birthday, No Angst, happy everything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-09 19:51:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8909785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/essiee/pseuds/essiee, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guardian_Rose/pseuds/Guardian_Rose
Summary: Alec doesn't know what to get Magnus and Isabelle has to persuade him to believe in his choices. After all, for Magnus anything from Alec is special.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This one is breaking the pattern as it's from Alec's POV but it's still Magnus saying it. Hope you all enjoy!

Alec had never been good with birthdays, be it for his family or some of the tentative friends in the Institute. The few people he really cared for knew this and never expected great things from him in terms of presents.

Occasionally there were exceptions such as last year when he had gotten Izzy a navy blue scarf, helped with the choosing by Magnus of course, and she always wore it when they went somewhere cold.

But now it was Magnus’s birthday and Alec still had nothing. No plans, no gifts, no ideas. Nothing even equated to how special Magnus was to him. He had about an hour before Magnus was expecting him at the loft.

He’d asked Jace yesterday and had been teased rather than given any useful advice. Clary had suggested make-up but Alec had no idea how to even begin choosing colours and brands. Izzy was his last hope.

Alec knew it took about a quarter of an hour to half an hour to get from the Institute to the loft and he wanted to give himself time to get something extra on the way if he saw something. So he grabbed his phone and wallet, put on his leather jacket and knocked softly on his sister’s door.

“Iz? You in?” He called.

“Yes! What’s up?” 

Isabelle was sitting at her cream vanity table and turned to face Alec as he shut the door softly behind him.

“I uh- you see, I don’t…” Alec ran a hand through his hair and looked anywhere but at the amused grin on his sister’s face, this should have been much easier than this.

“You don’t know what to get Magnus, do you? You do realise his birthday is today right?”

Alec frowned and nodded, “yeah.”

“Do you have any ideas?”

“Not really, no.”

“‘Not really’? So you did have one?” Izzy raised her eyebrow at him.

“Well, umm… there’s this necklace but he already has so many…” Alec admitted.

To begin with he’d been set with a plan he’d made a while back. There was a simple, silver necklace that had a few silver beads on that you could pay extra to have engraved; it was similar to the necklaces the shadowhunter had seen his boyfriend wear before but was personal enough to be a good birthday present.

“So? It’s gonna be from you, Alec, that’ll make it special enough. Did you get it before or do we need to go now?” Izzy looked ready to leap up and drag Alec round half the city for this and he was glad he had indeed bought it on impulse at the time.

“No, no. I've got it.” Alec grinned as his sister clapped her hands together happily.

“Then go! Go, go, go! Oh, maybe pick him up a pastry or drink or something on the way as well?”

Alec thanked her before letting himself out of the room. He grabbed the smooth, dark purple box that held the necklace from his drawers and slipped out of the Institute.

Technically he was still quite early so he took Isabelle’s advice and found the nearest Starbucks. Magnus adored the festive drinks they did and suggested them on almost every coffee date. So far Alec had tried half of this year’s choices. Luckily there wasn't much of a queue when he stepped into the building, the sweet smell of caramel, sugar and coffee like a cosy invitation to relax and have a quick nap.

Alec felt rather proud of himself when he summoned the courage to ask them to write ‘Happy Birthday’ on Magnus’s gingerbread latte.

Even with the detour he arrived at the loft early, the box in his jacket pocket and the tray of drinks in his hands. He didn't bother knocking. Magnus very rarely locked the door, the wards keeping away unwanted visitors better than a lock.

“Mags?” Alec called as he kicked the door shut again.

There was the sound of feet moving before the warlock appeared.

“Alexander! You’re early! And come bearing gifts I see, let me help you out there.” Magnus took the tray in one hand and linked his fingers with the shadowhunter’s with the other.

“It’s not heavy, I'm stronger than I look you know?” Alec pointed out, Magnus laughed. “Well, it is your birthday anyway. I’d be a pretty rubbish boyfriend if I didn’t bring gifts.”

Magnus hummed his agreement, a wide smile on his face, and they sat down on the living room couch.

“So what’s today’s flavour?” Magnus asked, picking up the one with his name and the birthday message on.

“Gingerbread latte.” 

Magnus’s smile got impossibly bigger.

“My favourite, you remembered.”

“Yeah, in my defence you have one every time we leave the loft so it would be hard to forget.”

“Hmmm very true, darling. Oh! They even wrote happy birthday.”

Alec blushed slightly and took a sip of his own drink before setting it down and taking the box out of his pocket.

“Happy birthday, Mags.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! <3
> 
> Any and all comments welcome! Especially prompts! <3


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